


Getting There

by whoficky (quirkygirl242)



Series: After the Void [2]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Recovery, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-12 19:29:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21481627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quirkygirl242/pseuds/whoficky
Summary: Rose wakes up in the TARDIS infirmary with no memory of how she got there.  Her body is weak and her mind is a scrambled mess.  She's so far from who she was and the life she used to live.The people she loves are helping her through a grueling recovery, but Rose fears she'll never get back what was lost.  After running through the stars, how can she possibly cope with a life confined within the TARDIS walls?  How can she deal with the daily reality of being completely dependant on others?  And how long can she expect the Doctor to stay by her side now that she has so little to offer?
Relationships: Jackie Tyler/Pete Tyler (Pete's World), Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: After the Void [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1548373
Comments: 42
Kudos: 87





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who showed interest in this sequel to After the Void! It's been in the works for a few months and I'm finally far enough along that I feel like I can start posting.  
Hope you like it!

_“The Valiant Child who will die in battle.”_

Those were the words she remembered as the lever failed and the Doctor’s universe-saving plan was put into jeopardy.Though the cacophony in the lever room of Torchwood Tower was deafening, for a few heartbeats all she heard was the pounding of blood through her ears.Everything seemed to slow down as the revelation of her death came over her.Maybe, when they remembered her, they’d say she had a choice, but really she didn’t.Every second the Cybermen and Daleks were able to exist in her world, people were dying.If she didn’t fix the lever, these relentless enemies would fall out of the tug from the Void and have more opportunities to wreak havoc.She’d die then anyway, most likely.And the Doctor, the Earth’s only hope to survive this.No, there was no choice.This was it.This was her death.Best make it a good one.Make him proud.

She took a breath and time started flowing again. 

She let go of the magna-clamp and caught herself on the lever using all of her strength to lock it back in the right position.Then it was just a matter of holding on until she no longer could. 

She looked to her Doctor who was screaming words she couldn’t hear, but she thought it might be her name.Over the fear and sadness of her last moments was the anguish at leaving him.It was always destined to happen, with their mismatched lifespans, but she’d wished it wasn’t now, wasn’t so soon when she could have had decades left to give him.She wished she’d had time to tell him…tell him so many things.Maybe he knew.She hoped he knew.She hoped he’d be ok. 

Her eyes were so wide that they ached as she tried to drink him in.Tried to communicate to him all the things she would never be able to say.And how daft was that?To let such important things left unsaid.But she’d always thought she had more time…

Her fingers began to slip._I’m trying!_ She thought, wishing she could send him that message among all the rest._Oh Doctor, I’m trying to stay with you._But she was only human and not quite strong enough.

It went quickly then, the last of the cool metal torn from her grip as a scream was torn from her throat.The world was madness and wind and one last glimpse of her Doctor.

And then she was... 


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up is hard.

It took Rose Tyler a very long time to wake up. 

Not that waking up was usually a quick affair for her.She wasn’t exactly a morning person and loved an extended doze when she had a day off from adventure.Some days she’d lounge so long that the Doctor had to resort to measures such as stealing her blankets, pumping punk rock into her room, or one time “accidentally” hitting a bit of vortex turbulence to get her out of bed.Those days the only thing that kept him safe and in one piece in front of her sleepy wrath was the steaming cup of tea he always had waiting for her.The git. 

But this didn’t have any of the lazy comfort she usually felt in that place between awake and asleep.This felt more like a trap, or being tied down, or submerged just below the surface of dark, cold water.Like that time when she was eight and got caught up in the breaking waves while on a beach holiday with Mum and Gran.The light and safety and air had all been so close. All she’d had to do was break through the water.But the waves had spun her until she didn’t know which way was up and her brain had been full panic and an encroaching dark haze.An older girl had snatched her out of the water and it all had been fine after a few minutes of tears and a hug from her Mum.But she’d always remember that panicked, helpless feeling of being caught under churning water.

Wherever she was now, it was like that.She knew the things she wanted were close.She could feel that comfort and safety and familiarity just beyond the dark vail, but she couldn’t connect.Her brain was fuzzy and too often she’d be wracked with a pain so intense that it sent her back under, back toward the deep darkness that she so feared.

It was the glimpses of the world beyond this place that gave her hope she’d find her way through.She’s hear a voice that made her chest feel tight with love and want, or a scent that reminded her of her childhood, or the texture of cool sheets against her skin that reminded her that she had skin, had a body to get back to.She had a life to get back to.And sometimes, she could almost see the shape of that life and the things that made it so wonderful. 

So when the pain spasmed through her and it would be so much easier to retreat back to the depths of that dark place forever, she always chose to fight instead.First she fought just to stay, to not be whisked further away to the place she knew she’d never come back from. And then, in the good moments, she’d try to fight her way back home. 

Until one day, finally, she broke through.

*************

Rose blinked her eyes open only to shut them again as the light stung her eyes.She felt awful.Beyond awful, really.Had she ever in her life felt so tired?She didn’t think so. And just about every part of her hurt.She’d said so during many a hangover, but maybe this time she really had gotten run over by a lorry. 

Still, she knew she had to open her eyes and take stock of her situation.Since traveling with the Doctor, she’d woken up in all manner of strange places and states.And in some cases, she’d had to jump right into running for her life.She really hoped that wasn’t the case now.She didn’t want to be doing any kind of running for a long, long time.As more of the grogginess lifted, Rose was relieved to hear the TARDIS singing softly to her.Home then.At least she was safe at the moment.Maybe she could convince the Doctor to spend a few days in the Vortex.There had to be some alien soap drama they could binge watch. But first, she had to open her eyes and work on getting her bearings.This time after a few blinks, she managed to keep her eyes open.

Oh.She was in the infirmary.Well that would explain why she felt like death.Not that she could remember why she was here.When she tried to think back to the last thing she did remember, her brain skidded and skipped around until a wave of dizziness overcame her.Ok, so maybe she didn’t need to remember just yet.Not until she got something for the dizziness.And maybe the pain too.That was just as distracting.She was sure the Doctor would have something stashed in here that would help. 

The clinking of silverware on a plate drew her attention to a lanky figure messing around with something on the counter.The Doctor.She smiled and for a moment she was filled with warmth that made the pain and vertigo seem more bearable. 

He had his back to her so naturally she reverted to her usual habit when faced with this view…checking out his bum.She grinned and noted with curiosity that he was wearing blue pinstripes today.She wondered if whatever put her in the infirmary had damaged his usual outfit.She’d hardly ever seen him in anything but his usual brown, but she liked this new blue suit.It was, well…tighter for one thing.She held back a giggle, not wanting to alert him to her ogling.She really was enjoying the view.

As she watched, the Doctor stilled whatever he was doing, the lines of his body stiffening.Slowly, he turned toward her and she could have laughed at the sight he made.Gobsmacked could’t even begin to cover the expression on his face and he was standing there frozen with a spoon full of green goop in his right hand.

“Rose?” he asked shakily.Something in his voice made worry bubble up in her already unsettled stomach.She pushed it aside and decided the Doctor was just being daft for some reason. Asking her name - who else would be in the TARDIS with him?Well she could play along, she supposed…

“Doctor,” she responded with a grin and raised eyebrow.Her voice came out curiously raspy, but obviously the Doctor heard it because his eyes went even wider.The spoon fell from his hand and he looked like he was on the verge of collapsing.Worry for herself shifting to worry for him.

“You ok?” she asked.

The Doctor made a noise that sounded half way between a cough and a laugh. 

“Oh yes,” he said, covering the ground between them so quickly, her eyes couldn’t track the movement.

The Doctor stopped at the side of her bed, hesitated a moment and then sat down in a chair next to her.As if she were made of the most delicate glass, he took her hand and brought it to his lips before lacing their fingers together.

“I…are you…Rose, I…” the Doctor sputtered.At this close proximity, she saw that it wasn’t just his voice that was shaking.She was still groggy and confused, but she didn’t like the picture that was forming in the few minutes that she’d been awake.She couldn’t remember a thing that would explain the state she was in and the Doctor looked like he’d been to hell and back since she’d last seen him.This close, details like the wrinkles in his suit and the circles under his eyes were more apparent.

“Hey,” she said, “It’s ok.” She smiled up at him.Whatever it was, they would figure it out.They always did. 

But when she tried to squeeze his hand, she found the action much too difficult and her smile slipped away.She stared down at their entwined hands, noting the odd way her wrist bent.She tried to lift her other hand to put on top of his, but instead of the smooth motion she expected, her arm jerked violently, shuttered a bit and then got stuck in an awkwardly bent position.

“Uh…what the…?” she said, eyes snapping back to the Doctor’s, “Doctor, what….what is….I can’t…_what!_?” Her brain was skipping around again and she found it hard to get the words out.Giving up on speech for now, she instead looked at the Doctor with desperate questioning eyes.Her face prickled with a warm flush of panic and something behind her started beeping.

“Rose,” the Doctor said shifting to sit on the bed facing her.He cradled her head in his hands, “Stay with me, Rose.It’s ok.You’re going to be ok.”

Her eyes latched onto his as he urged her to take deeper breaths.He ran his thumbs soothingly over her temples and she let her eyes flutter closed at the comfort the contact offered.

“That’s it, just breathe,” the Doctor encouraged, “Just breathe.”

Slowly, Rose fought back control from the panic.She opened her eyes and focused on the Doctor’s steady gaze. 

“Hello,” he whispered once their breathing synced.

“Hello,” she managed to grin back at him.Then she felt her face crumple as she burst into tears.What on earth was wrong with her?

“Oh Rose,” the Doctor sounded like he was in as much pain as she was, “It’s ok.It’ll be ok.I got you.”

And he did have her.He sat back in the bed and drew her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her.She cried like she hadn’t since she was a small child - tears of bewilderment and nameless fears and the memory of loneliness.She had this ache in her chest as if she hadn’t seen the Doctor in a very, very long time. 

She wanted to ask him what had happened.She wanted just to talk to him, to stay here with him.But she was exhausted and as hard as she tried, she couldn’t prevent her eyes from first drooping, then closing.

Distantly she heard the Doctor murmuring to her, “It’s ok Rose.Get some rest.I’ll be here when you wake up.You’ve done brilliantly.Absolutely brilliantly.It’ll be ok.I’ve got you.”

Helplessly, she slept.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose wants to know what the hell is going on. The Doctor tries to explain.

Would it always be this hard to wake up?Rose was swimming back to awareness, but couldn’t quite get her eyes to open.She focused on the pleasantly scratchy feel of the Doctor’s suit jacket against her cheek and the soothing feeling of his hands brushing through her hair.She managed a contented hum.

“Rose?” the Doctor asked.Why was her name a question?How was something so fundamental such an enigma to the person who knew her best?As she pondered that, she started to remember some of the broken memories from earlier.

She was in the infirmary - sick or hurt or…something else.Her body didn’t work right and she wasn’t quite sure her brain was in top form either.At first she just remembered the feeling of panic from before, but soon she was experiencing it all over again as she fought and failed to wake up fully.Her breath came out in stuttering gasps and her brain felt like it was on fire.She needed to open her eyes.She needed to wake up.Why couldn’t she do this simple, basic thing?

“Shhh,” the Doctor soothed, “Take your time.”

She wanted to heed his advice, but the panic wouldn’t let her.She was stuck fighting a frenzied internal battle.She tried wiggling her fingers or toes, tried to sit up, tried to do…something, but she continued to float around just under the surface of wakefulness.Finally with a jerk of her leg and a cry, she broke through.For several moments all she could do was take deep gulps of air.The Doctor shifted her slightly so that she could see his face. 

“Bloody hell,” she finally managed, then laughed weakly with relief.As she woke up more fully, she felt the panic recede and started to feel more like herself.

“I’d say, yeah,” the Doctor agreed. They grinned at each other for a few heartbeats as her breathing evened out.Finally, she got her brain and her mouth in line enough to ask, “Doctor, whas goin’ on?”She looked down at her body, “my arms…and dunno…all mixed up.”

The Doctor let out a puff of breath before speaking, “What’s the last thing you remember?”

Oh really, so he was going to play that game?Right now? She gave him a very cross look to let him know how little she cared for him answering a question with another question.

When he just laughed, she was very nearly affronted.

“Sorry, sorry.Just…haven't seen that look in a long time,” he grinned.

“How long?” she asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer. 

“Too long.”

Well he didn’t have to wait long to see the look again.But this time when he laughed in response, she giggled too.

“Ok ok,” the Doctor acquiesced, “But I do want to start at the beginning and I’m not really sure where that is unless I know how much you remember…”

Rose thought for a moment before speaking.It took so much more work to organize her thoughts than she was used to.“I…dunno.If I try…it all…skips about.I just…it’s just travelin’.Just us travelin’.”After a few moments of screwing up her face in thought and fighting down waves of vertigo she added, “Edible ball bearings?”

The Doctor laughed heartily and she felt the vibrations of it where she was resting against his chest.It was a lovely feeling. 

“What?” she asked, grinning.

“Just a funny thing to remember is all,” he said, “But that’s good!Really good.You didn’t loose much at all.Just a few weeks.”

Just a few weeks?!And that wasn’t loosing much?In just a few weeks they could have almost rearranged the universe a few times if they were on point.Some of what she was feeling must have showed on her face because the Doctor rushed to comfort her.

“It’s ok,” he said, “You may get it back in time.And if not…I’ll tell you all about it.”

“Ok,” she sighed, frustrated that she already felt herself drifting back off to sleep.She blinked her eyes a few times and clumsily shifted in the Doctor’s arms to try and stay awake.

“Want something to drink?” the Doctor asked.Now that he mentioned it, she was rather thirsty.And hungry.She was much more concerned with figuring out what was going on, but maybe a little refreshment would help her think more clearly.She nodded.

“Alright, Rose Tyler, your wish is my command.I have your tea all set out already,” he said as he gently shifted her back against the pillows so he could retrieve it.She watched him bound across the room and grab a mug from the counter he was fiddling at earlier.Once he was back sitting on her bed, he put the mug down on a side table so he had two hands to adjust her back to a seated position.Rose tried not to think too hard about how weak she was.She felt like a rag doll and the Doctor seemed to not only expect this, but have some experience with moving her around.Maybe it was just one of those things one picks up while living for centuries. 

Finally, he grabbed something from a drawer next to her bed and brought the mug around towards her mouth.

“Gunna need help,” she said when her arms wouldn’t obey her command to take the mug from him.

“Of course,” he said, “One mo’ and…here you go.”

Rose sputtered when instead of him bringing the cup to her mouth as she expected, he dunked a weird lolly looking sponge in her tea and then put it in her mouth.

“Oh!Sorry sorry!” the Doctor hastily put the sponge back in the tea and wiped her chin with the a flannel he’d manufactured from somewhere.“This is how you’ve been drinking lately.”

Drinking from a sponge lolly?That would be a pretty weird hobby to take up in the few weeks she couldn’t remember.

After thinking things through for a moment she asked, “Straw?”

“Er…why don’t we try this first.It’s easy, I promise.You just weren’t ready for it.All you have to do is suck on the sponge, the pink part.”

The Doctor brought the sponge lolly to her mouth again and this time Rose did as he said.The flavor of the tea sent a happy thrum through her, but she hardly got a taste before she’d sucked all the liquid out.This really wasn’t the best way to take in a beverage.Also, “S’ cold,” she complained.

“Er, yes well, didn’t want you to burn you tongue,” the Doctor said.

“Ice cold,” Rose shot back.

“Nonsense, Rose Tyler, it’s just above room temperature.Ice cold!The nerve!” the Doctor said and Rose giggled.

“More?” she asked and he obliged.Tepid temperature aside, the tea was fantastic.The Doctor had been right about it being easy to use the sponge lolly, but she still thought there were more efficient ways to drink.Like how she normally did, for example.She was too tired to ask him about it though.For a few minutes, she was just content to drink her fill of tea and feel the Doctor’s chest shifting behind her as he assisted. 

Too quickly, she tired, and when the Doctor brought the next sip to her mouth she clamped her lips shut and shook her head.

“All done?” he asked.

She nodded, “Ta.”

“Anytime.Now where were we?Shall we try to get an explanation out of me before you fall back asleep?” he asked.Rose chuckled again.Well at least he was self aware of how difficult it could be to get him to properly explain things.

“Please,” she nodded and blinked her eyes a few times to help keep the room in focus.

“So.Where to begin?Well, it all started when we went to visit your mum,” he began.A few disjointed images flashed through her mind.

“Ghosts?” she interrupted.

“Yes, exactly the ghosts!” the Doctor seemed pleased, “That’s brilliant!See I told you the memories might come a back eventually.Well, maybe sooner than eventually.Anyway…”

But as he was about to continue Rose could have sworn she heard her Mum’s voice echoing in from the hallway.But why would her Mum be on board the TARDIS?

“Mum?” Rose questioned, trying to shift to look at the Doctor, “Here?The TARDIS?” 

The Doctor had tensed as Rose’s muddled mind struggled to contend with this new piece of incongruent information.Then another voice joined her Mum’s.There was something about it…She tried to place all of this in some kind of logical order as the voices got louder.The Doctor seemed to be trying to untangle himself out from behind her, spilling tea all down her front.

“Jackie wait!” he called out.But her Mum was already though the doorway.It was so strange to see her mother here, in amongst the coral walls of the TARDIS.Her headache was back with a vengeance as she tried to process everything.

“Mum?” she asked.Her Mum froze, staring at her like she was a ghost herself, before screaming and falling against the doorway._What the hell? _she thought.Now her vision was pulsing black in time to the throbbing in her head.

“Jackie?!Jacks what is it?” the second voice echoed through the door.There was an awful lot of voices at once and Rose couldn’t even begin to decipher anything out of the commotion.And then a man was by Jackie’s side and the man was her dead father and his hands went instantly to rest on her mother’s very large, very pregnant belly.

“Mum what?Doctor what?” Rose asked, feeling panicky and fighting the pulsing darkness in her vision.Her head felt like it was about to explode and electric bolts of pain started shooting through her body.

“My head,” she whimpered and then she fell back under. 


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose learns more about what happened to her.

The next time Rose woke up, the lights were dim in the infirmary and it was just her mum and the Doctor sitting at either side of her bed.She was laying down in soft new sheets that didn’t smell of tea.Since when did she sleep so heavily that someone could change her sheets without waking her up?

“Hello,” the Doctor said softly, noticing she was awake almost before she did.

“Hello,” she said, and she had to grin at their routine even though she was still frightened and miserable.At least the electric shocks of pain had receded.

She shifted her gaze toward her mum, and noted that she looked like she had been crying. “Mum?” she asked, concerned.

“Hello sweetheart,” her mum said softly, reaching to brush aside some hair that had fallen in Rose’s face, “Sorry for the fright.We didn’t expect…” her mum trailed off and placed a hand over Rose’s where it rested on top of the sheets.

“You’re on the TARDIS…” Rose said trying to make sense of things, “And you’re…pregnant?”

“Eight months gone,” Jackie said squeezing her hand gently, “You’re gunna be a big sister.”

Rose closed her eyes and wondered what strange dimension she’d woken up in.“And Dad?I saw…I saw Dad too?” she shook her head, “But I couldn’t have…”

Jackie and the Doctor looked at each other as if they were deciding what to tell her.That quite frankly irritated the hell out of her.And scared her that they felt they had to censor themselves.Was she really as fragile as all that? 

“You remember going to Pete’s world?” the Doctor finally asked her.Her eyes widened with understanding.

“But you said…sealed off,” she said.“Mickey?” she added hopefully.

The Doctor rubbed at his eye, “Yes, well, I suppose not as sealed off as I thought.At least not when some irresponsible apes play around with the walls of the universe.Mr. Mickey is still over there, defending Pete’s world and fighting the good fight.But Pete stayed on this side of the Void.”

When the Doctor mentioned the Void an icy chill of dread brewed deep in her chest.She closed her eyes until she could get it back under control.

“Pete’s here,” she said after a moment.The Doctor and her Mum nodded. “You two are…?” this time Jackie blushed when she nodded again.“And you’re…_very_ pregnant.”Well Pete had certainly come a long way from wanting nothing to do with either of them.She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. 

“God yes,” Jackie sighed, “Tired all the time now.Thank god for this ship helping me with half the chores.And I have to pee every ten minutes!Not to mention your little sibling likes to kick me in the ribs anytime I try to sleep.”

Little sibling?Rose pondered that for a moment.She’d encountered plenty of seemingly impossible things since she met the Doctor, but this was beyond anything she’d ever expected.And it sounded like Jackie and Pete had been living on the TARDIS?But if that was the case…the timelines didn’t match up.

Rose narrowed her eyes at the Doctor, “Eight months?But Doctor…you said I only lost…few weeks!”

“Er…” now the Doctor tugged at his ear, “Well, yes for you, for what I’d expect you to be able to remember…blimey this is hard to explain.”

“Just do it!” Rose huffed, but gave him a hint of a smile to take the edge off her command.

“Right sorry,” the Doctor said sheepishly.“Back to the beginning then.You remember the ghosts, right?”

Rose raked through her memories, “Kinda.Mum thought it was Granddad?”

“And what was I supposed to think!” Jackie said defensively, “They were all over!Smelling so familiar and popping in and out on shifts.Everyone thought they were ghosts.Wasn’t just me!”

“Yes, Jackie, thanks,” the Doctor had screwed up his face when her mum’s voice had gone shrill.Rose fought back laughter.At least some things were still the same.It was little things like this that helped anchor her mind to the present.

“Anyway, the ghosts weren’t so benign as lost loved ones.You remember when we met Queen Vicky?” the Doctor asked.

Rose looked back at him with a raised eyebrow.Of course she remembered, but that was ages ago. 

“It’s relevant, I swear,” the Doctor rushed out, “After she knighted us, apparently she also set up a secret organization to er…fight us.”

“Rude,” Rose said and the Doctor nodded, grinning.

“Quite!” he agreed, “Well good ol’ Vicky made Torchwood, named after that estate, and the organization was supposed to protect Great Britain from alien threats.”

“Like you?” Rose grinned at him.

“Oh yes.Especially me,” he said, almost sounding a little proud, “But they did plenty else too,” he added darkly.“They started playing with the walls of the universe.They had a headquarters in a big skyscraper in Canary Wharf.A few times a day they hacked at a breach they found in the walls of this Universe.For months they did this.And each time they did, the ghosts would show up.”

“The not-Grandad ghosts,” Rose said, trying to keep up.Luckily what the Doctor was telling her didn’t sound brand new.It was almost like a story she’d heard before, but couldn’t fully remember. She had flashes of…not quite memories, but impressions of things as he talked. 

“Very much not grandad,” he agreed, “The ghosts were beings from another universe…” he trailed off and Rose thought that he was trying to give her time to figure something out.It didn’t take her long.She really was coming back to herself.

“Pete’s world!” she said then with a thrill of fear at a half-memory, “Cybermen.”

“Cybermen,” the Doctor nodded.

“And Pete too!” Jackie said beaming, “He hopped over to help out.”

“Right was getting to that,” the Doctor said irritable at the interruption, “With Torchwood messing around, the walls between universes were compromised and things, Cybermen and human alike, could cross over.The Cybermen saw this world as ripe for the pickings.And Pete and his team were right behind them, ready to fight.”

“Cybermen on Earth,” Rose said slowly, “That’s…bad.”

“Very,” the Doctor agreed solemnly, “Very, very bad.But they weren’t the only things that came through the breach.Torchwood also pulled through a ship.A ship full of Daleks.”

“No!” Rose cried, envisioning the utter havoc these two enemies would wreak on her home world.

“It was awful,” Jackie shivered, “And the two of you in the middle of it, as always.Pete and I too.We met in the stairwell.”

Rose wanted to hear all about her Mum and Pete later, but for right now, she was much more concerned with what happened to the rest of the Earth.For a second she worried that there was no Earth left after the Daleks and Cybermen were done with it.Maybe they were all living in the TARDIS because there was nothing to go back to.But no, the Doctor would never let that happen.

“We sorted it?” she asked.

“We did,” the Doctor said, but there was no pride or excitement in his voice, “At a cost…”

Ah, so they were getting to the crux of it, she thought.

“You, Rose Tyler, did something very stupid and very, very brave,” he said softly, “You saved the Earth, maybe the whole universe.” Rose found she couldn’t meet his eyes when he used that reverent tone of voice.She was sure she’d just done what she’d had to.And a part of her was happy that however she’d managed to put herself in this state, it had been for a good cause. 

After clearing his throat, the Doctor continued.He started to explain about reversing the push of the Void and all about Void Stuff.Something in Rose’s mind sparked as he talked and she had a fleeting memory of deafening noise and tearing wind. 

“But we had Void stuff too, yeah?” she interrupted.

“Yes,” the Doctor said.

“And…and I…I was hanging onto something.Something cold.Metal.”

“Yes, the Doctor confirmed, but he started to seem wary, like he wished she wasn’t getting these particular memories back.

“But I… I couldn’t…I - I fell, didn’t I?”

The Doctor didn’t need to voice his confirmation this time.A hard look came over his face and he stared fixedly at a point across the room.

The brief hint of a memory faded, but Rose was able to put two and two together, “The Void,” she breathed, “I fell into the Void.”

“Yes,” the Doctor finally croaked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! My goal is to post a new chapter weekly.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose learns more about the Void, but the answers to her questions are far from comforting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was a bit late. Had my own dizzy spells last weekend and couldn't get on the computer to post. Hopefully I'll be on schedule next week. 
> 
> Thank you so much for the kudos and feedback!

_The Void,” she breathed, “I fell into the Void.”_

_“Yes,” the Doctor finally croaked._

Rose wasn’t quite sure what to do with that information.She couldn’t really remember what the Void was exactly, but she knew it wasn’t a fluffy happy place. 

“What…what does that mean exactly?” she asked slowly.

“To be honest Rose, I don’t really know,” the Doctor sighed.When he saw her skeptical look he added defensively, “I don’t!It’s not something that even Time Lords wanted to mess around with.”

“But ’s bad, yeah?” she asked.

“Doctor called it hell,” her mum said in a choked voice.

Jackie and the Doctor continued talking, but Rose tuned them out.Hell?Well that was something.She had faced the devil, so she guessed she shouldn’t be so surprised that there was something like hell too.But the fact that she had been there herself…

“Rose,” she snapped out of her daze when the Doctor laced his fingers through hers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. 

“Sorry,” she said, “Sorry, just…s’ a lot.”

“I know,” the Doctor agreed, “Should we take a break?Do you want more to drink?”

“No,” she shook her head, “M’ ok.I want to know.”

“Alright,” the Doctor said after taking her measure for a moment. “Yes, you fell into the Void, which some, I suppose, would call hell or a hell-like place.No one really knows what’s there though.People who fall in without the protection of a capsule…well they don’t ever come back out.”

“But I did…” Rose said in amazement. 

“You did,” he confirmed with a weak smile.For a moment they just stared at each other as if neither could believe the enormity of what happened.Her brain almost threatened to go fuzzy again, but the steady brush of his thumb on the back of her hand kept her anchored. 

Rose blinked when her mum spoke and the odd spell between her and the Doctor was broken.

“The Doctor did it,” Jackie beamed over at the Time Lord.“He stayed with us for weeks after we lost you, and then came back to visit loads once he went back out traveling.Then one day, he came calling, with breakfast and everything, and he told us he was gunna try to get you back.”

Rose looked back and forth from her mum to the Doctor, though it made her dizzy.She was amazed not only with what her mum was saying about the Doctor hanging around, doing domestic, but also with the warmth in her Mum’s voice when she beamed at the Doctor. 

“And you did,” Rose finally said, grinning at the Doctor.“How long was I…?” She asked.

The Doctor let out a long sigh, “Ohhh probably about…four, five months Earth time.But legend says time works differently in the Void, or maybe doesn’t exist at all.”

And there was the pounding headache again.Rose wasn’t sure if it was knowing how long she’d been stuck there or the concept of time not existing, but it hurt to think about.Her heart ached too, at the thought of the Doctor on his own.And her Mum and Pete starting a new family without her.She’d missed so much.

“You ok,” the Doctor asked, giving her hand another squeeze.

“Dunno,” she said honestly.She decided to press ahead anyway.She was exhausted and wanted to get the full shape of things before she drifted off again.Furrowing her brow against the pain, she asked, “Why don’t I remember it?Or coming back?Why am I…” _Broken_ she wanted to say, but couldn’t get the word out.It was an ugly word.She didn’t want to be associated with it.

“I don’t know,” the Doctor apologized, “You’ve been very ill, Rose.And I’m so sorry but I don’t know why.I want to give you an answer though, and I think the closest I can get is to say it’s a lot like you had a brain injury.”Rose did not like the sound of that at all.She closed her eyes as another wave of dizziness came over her. 

“We didn’t know if you’d ever wake up,” her Mum said sniffling.

“How long?” Rose asked and her voice was muted with growing fatigue.

“You’ve been back a few months now, but you weren’t…well you were awake..sometimes, but not…not Rose Tyler,” the Doctor said, “Sort of like a coma, I guess you could say.”

She wanted to tell him that she still didn’t feel like Rose Tyler.But she was getting too tired to cover anything but her most pressing questions.

“Will I get better?” she asked and hated how tight and pitchy her voice was.She _had_ to get better, right?She couldn’t be like this and continue on with the Doctor.And the thought of having to go live with her mum…be taken care of like a child…she couldn’t face it.And the pain.Surely she wouldn’t feel this way forever. 

The Doctor cupped the side of her face and wiped the tears off of her cheek, “Oh Rose, you’re already getting there.And we’ll do everything we can.You are so, so strong.But it’s going to take time.”

Rose blinked her eyes open to look at the blurry shape of the Doctor.She had so much she wanted to ask, wanted to say, but all that came out was, “M’ sorry,” before she was crying too hard to get any more words out. 

“Oh sweetheart,” her mum said.There was some small commotion and she felt the bed dip and then strong hands easing her into her Mum’s arms.She cried as her mother held and rocked her like she had when Rose was very young.Well almost like back then.Now Jackie had a very large belly that was partly in the way.But they made do. 

At some point she recognized the Doctor’s reassuring voice and she focused on that.

“It’s alright, Rose.It will be alright.Just look how much better you’re already doing.Just this morning you could barely talk or stay awake.Now you’re asking questions, all the right questions.Just like you always do.And we’ll be here with you the whole time.”

His soft voice and the words he said were comforting, but she didn’t know how he had such optimism.Yes, she was awake…for the moment, and now that he mentioned it, she was somewhat less muddled, but she was a far cry from running from werewolves or whatever type of trouble they tended to get themselves into.There was an awful long way for her to go to get from here to her old self.And she was so bloody tired... 

She’d do it though.She’d do whatever she had to in order to get back to who she was.But…she’d do it later.With her most urgent questions answered, she let her swollen eyes close and drifted back off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose is faced with new challenges and harsh realities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, a day late again. I think I'm going to have to ease up on the posting rate for a bit. I decided the next five chapters could benefit from a full rewrite and things are getting crazy with the holidays approaching. Still will be posting regularly, just not on a specific day. 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!

Rose drifted in and out of sleep for what felt like a long time after that.When she had trouble waking, the Doctor was always by her side reassuring her that everything was alright and that she needed the rest, so it was ok to go back to sleep.Most of the time, she took his advice.When she did manage to wake up fully, it was usually only for a few sips of tea or to ask someone to help her change positions.But mostly, she slept a heavy exhausted sleep.

Then, one time she woke up and she felt different - like a haze had lifted.The infirmary lights still made her eyes ache, dimmed though they were, but she felt much more clear-headed.She spotted the Doctor sitting next to her, as always, and he was pushing some cream colored goop from a large syringe into a clear plastic tube. 

“Whacha doing?” she asked, and smiled when he jumped slightly.It was hard to get the jump on a Time Lord, and it gave her a little thrill each time she managed to.

“Oh, back in the land of the living, are we?” he grinned at her, composure back in place almost instantly.

“Yep.I think it’ll last this time too,” she said through a yawn.

“You sure?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“Mmhm.Tired of sleeping,” she assured him as she managed an awkward stretch of her tight muscles.

“Well then, what can I do for you?” the Doctor asked, leaning forward so she didn’t have to crane her neck to meet his eyes.

“Seems like you’re already busy,” she nodded over at the oversized syringe.“What is that stuff?Looks like baby vomit,” she said scrunching up her nose in disgust.

She didn’t understand why the Doctor laughed until he explained, “This, Rose Tyler, is your dinner.”

“Uh, I may be on a liquid only diet, but I’m definitely not eating _that_!”

The Doctor looked like he was just barely holding in more laughter. “I really hate to tell you this.I really, really do, but you sort of already are,” he said as he pushed more of the gunk through the clear tube.

“Huh?” she managed.She may feel more like herself, and talking seemed to come naturally for her again, but she was still a little groggy and wasn’t quite following the Doctor.

“Feeding tube,” he explained, “You haven’t been needing it as much lately, but then you went and slept through a couple days worth of meals.”

“Ewe,” the look of disgust was back for an encore. 

Rose found it hard to believe that she’d been basically asleep for the past two days.But she supposed that was nothing compared to being in a sort of coma for weeks, or was it months?She felt a bit panicky thinking about that so she focused back on what the Doctor was doing, “So that goopy stuff?”

“All the calories and nutrients you need going right into your stomach!” he replied happily, “No chewing, swallowing, or consciousness required.”

“So none of the fun parts.” She grinned her tongue-touched smile and felt a thrill when his eyes made a quick dart down to her lips. “Don’t suppose you have anything normal on hand?Could murder some chips.”

“Easy there tiger,” he cautioned, “How bout I finish this and then we get you set with some tea to start.”

“Ug, I’m sick of tea,” Rose groaned, “There’s got to be something I can eat!Like proper food.I’m starving!”

“You, Rose Tyler, are not starving.See, I’m filling up your stomach right now,” he said.When she just glared at him he hurried to add, “And I did say let’s _start_ with tea.We’ll get you sitting up and maybe even drinking from a cup this time.Then….maybe applesauce?”

“I’d rather have chips,” Rose grumbled, but at his wounded look she amended, “But applesauce is fine.It’ll be nice to sit up again, too.S’ weird looking up at everything.”

She watched the Doctor slowly push the last goop through the tube and sonic clean the end before capping it off.

“Alright, let’s get you sitting up then,” the Doctor said once he’d disposed of the used syringe and tucked the tubing back under the sheets.As he did so, there was a weird tugging feeling in her abdomen that she decided she really didn’t want to think too much about.She wasn’t afraid of needles per se, but tubes sticking out of her was a bit much.She fidgeted a little to distract herself from the feeling as she waited for the Doctor to help her sit. 

To her disappointment, he didn’t even bother trying to get her sitting under her own power.Instead he pointed the sonic at the bed to made the head of it slowly rise.And even that was hard on her.At the first shift of the bed’s positioning, she saw black dots swimming in her vision and clumsily clutched at her sheets to ward off fresh waves of dizziness and nausea.

“Ugg,” she moaned.

“It’ll pass.Give it a few seconds,” the Doctor assured her.And sure enough, in moments she started to feel better.It took a few cycles of this before she was in what could reasonably called a seated position.Once there, the Doctor tucked in pillows all around her to keep her from sliding back down or to either side.

“How’s that?” he asked beaming at her.

“Feel tall,” she grinned, “Whole new world from this angle.”

“And this new world comes with tea!” he proclaimed.This time, instead of offering her a saturated sponge lolly, he brought the mug to her lips, “Take it slowly,” he cautioned.

Rose rolled her eyes, but then decided to take his advice when her first large gulp left her sputtering and coughing.

“Easy does it,” the Doctor said as he wiped some of the spilled tea off of her chin.She felt herself flush in embarrassment.They’d experienced all kinds of compromising situations with each other either through cohabitation or their travels, but having the man you fancied wipe tea off your face was beyond what she thought she could comfortably tolerate.She felt the edge of tears coming, but pushed the feeling aside.The only thing worse than being embarrassed was being embarrassed and crying about it, she figured.And she’d been doing too much crying in general lately.Far better to try again and prove she could drink without making a mess.This time she took smaller sips with breaks in between to swallow fully.

“That’s better,” she said when she’d had her fill.

“You still want the applesauce?” the Doctor asked, “I can whip up some pureed meat or veg if you’d rather.”

“No ta,” she grimaced, “Have I seriously only been eating baby food?”

“Not baby food,” he said affronted, “Same food that the rest of us eat, just…in a slightly different state of matter.”

“Still, I think I’ll pass on the meat mush,” she said feeling queasy just at the thought of it.

“Applesauce for the lady then,” the Doctor nodded, “I’ll just nip over to the galley.You’ll be ok for a minute alone? 

“I think I’ll manage,” she said wryly.

While he was gone, she decided to take advantage of the brief bit of solitude to experiment with moving her hands and arms.She didn’t fancy the idea of the Doctor having to spoon feed her the applesauce he was fetching.Surely with a little effort she could do it herself.Now that she could organize her thoughts better, it shouldn’t be hard to get her body back online. _ Mind over matter_, she thought determinedly.

But when she tried to straighten her right arm from the bent angle it seemed to be fixed in, she found it unreasonably hard.Frustrated after a few fruitless attempts, she puffed out a breath and put as much force as she could into the movement in a short, angry jerk.That did get her arm to straighten a bit, but then it was stricken with a series of violent shakes and all the muscles of her upper body cramped up.It was all Rose could do to not to cry out in pain.It took her taking several deep breaths through her gritted teeth for the shaking and cramping to settle down.And after all that, her arm had curled right back up against her chest.She stared at the stubborn thing for a long moment.It almost didn’t feel like it belonged to her anymore.No, it was worse than that.It felt like her whole bloody body didn’t belong to her.And what good was a body when it didn’t do your bidding and brought you so much pain?Her mind flashed to a sneering face stretched out flat on a metal frame.She had always thought that living in the state Lady Cassandra had was no life at all.But was Rose really so different now?It was a terrible thought.Terrible and terrifying. 

Her brain started skittering around again.She closed her eyes as if that could keep out the rushing thoughts, but by the time the Doctor got back, Rose was caught up in a full fledged panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some science-y notes! You don't have to read them to understand the story. It's just my version of "fun facts" that are relevant. 
> 
> Needing lots of rest and sleep is very common after brain injuries. Just listening to people talk or keeping one's eyes open can be exhausting. Watching TV or sitting up is like an extreme sport. The worst of the fatigue is generally thought to be short term, but it varies person to person. Ain't no tired like recent brain injury tired. 
> 
> Rose gets sick as the Doctor raises the head of the bed due to orthostatic hypotension. When a healthy person sits or stands up, their body adjusts to pump blood against gravity. Laying down (or spending time in space with less gravity) for an extended amount of time makes your body forget how to do this. So when the affected person sits up or stands up, their body isn't able to get blood to all the important bits, and you have orthostatic hypotension (OI). This can lead to pre-syncope symptoms like sweating, nausea, and lightheadedness, or syncope (fainting). If one has OI from inactivity, it can be reversed once the inactivity is over. It may take some unpleasant work though. OI can also happen for reasons other than inactivity. In those cases, the OI may not be reversible and the person may require therapy, lifestyle changes, dietary changes, or medications. 
> 
> The feeding tube mentioned in the chapter is a futuristic version of a g-tube. More info here: https://www.chop.edu/treatments/gastrostomy-tubes G-tubes and other types of feeding tubes can take a lot of pressure off a patient who is struggling to eat enough. They are pretty awesome. 
> 
> Rose is on a liquid diet (even though that kind of contradicts what I wrote in After the Void...oops) due to the Doctor suspecting dysphasia (aka trouble swallowing).   
Technically, she'd probably be on a thickened liquid diet, but I thought poor Rose was suffering enough without the horrors of Thick-It. Like seriously if you want to be scarred for life, try some Ensure with Thick-It mixed in. It will ruin your whole day.
> 
> Rose's arms are scrunched up because she is exhibiting decorticate posturing. It looks like this: https://healthjade.net/decorticate/. Her arm shakes when she tries to jerk it because of something called spasticity...well kind of. Technically it would shake like that from someone else moving her arm, but eh, close enough. There's tons of different classifications for weird things that happen to muscles after a central nervous system injury that I won't get into, at least not right now. Here's a link if you are interested in learning more about it: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Hypertonicity_vs_spasticity


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some shippy moments as Rose eats her applesauce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting early because the re-write went well and I'll be swamped the next couple of weeks. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Science-y notes at the end of the chapter.

Rose heard footsteps rush to her side and then felt the bed dip as the Doctor sat facing her.The hand he placed on her shoulder felt like an anchor and she focused on the steady pressure.

“Hey, it’s ok,” he said, “It’s ok.Let’s do some of those nice deep breaths, alright?That’s it.Just like that. Everything's going to be just fine...”

His words blended together, but the sound of his soft voice helped bring her back.After she was able to get several steady breaths in she finally blinked open her eyes. 

“Sorry,” she murmured, half relieved he was there and half hating that he had to see her like this.

“Nope.No sorry’s,” the Doctor said as he trailed his hand down to rub her arm.“What happened, does something hurt?”

“Not really anymore, I just…” _what?_What could she say?That she was terrified?That she was helpless?That she was mortified that he’d have to feed her if she wanted that damn applesauce.Like an infant.Like a brain attached to a flap of skin that called out “Moisturize me!Moisturize me!”How long until he got tired of it?How many feedings, how many repositioning, how many hours sitting by her bed could he stand?How much of that could _she_ stand?But she couldn’t say any of that to him.If all she had was a voice now, she had to be more careful how she used it.She took another deep breath and composed herself.

“I just tried to move my arm and well…” she gritted her teeth and made an attempt again for his benefit.As before, her enormous effort yielded only very slight and jerky movement, “It’s not listening to me.”

“Rude,” he said, waggling a finger at her arm.She knew he was trying to lift her mood.She in turn tried to let him, forcing a smile.

“I was thinking so, yeah,” she agreed, “And it’s…I guess I freaked out a little.Weird to have your body not listen to you.”

“Course it is,” he assured her, “Perfectly natural response.Everything probably feels a bit, eh, raw for you right now too.With everything your brain’s been through, that’s normal.It may take a while to get all of those lovely neurotransmitters back in proper order.”

Rose thought back on the time since she’d first started waking up and figured that sounded about right.She had been a bit of a mess.More than a bit.She’d felt her emotions were out of control more than she’d felt steady.It was oddly reassuring that the Doctor could explain it as something normal and expected - something that would get better eventually.There was probably something relevant he could point to in some book from the library or a file in the TARDIS’ database.There it was, what ails Rose Tyler.Neurotransmitters all out of whack.She still felt like she could cry or hyperventilate or both at any moment, but it was reassuring to know why.

“Well that’s my excuse then,” she sighed, “It does feel like little gremlins take over my brain sometimes.It’s like…for a few minutes I’m not me, not in control.”

“Makes sense,” the Doctor nodded. “Happens to me too sometimes after a rough regeneration,” he said casually.

“Really?” Rose would never have guessed a Time Lord could have this sort of problem. 

“Yep,” he popped his P, “It’s part of the reason I dread regenerating so much.I become a new man and sometimes that new man has some seriously wonky brain chemistry.”

“That didn't happen last time though,” she remembered.

“Naw, the healing coma sorted all that,” he smiled, “Nothing like a nice healing coma.”

Rose sighed, “Wish I could have one of those.”

His face went dark for a fraction of a second, “No more comas for you, missy.The one was quite enough.”

Rose smiled at him and wished she could take his hand.“Alright, then I’ll do this the human way.”

“Eh, that’s not such a bad thing, you know.You humans actually rank rather high in ability to recover from all kinds of things, especially when you’re young.Better to do it the human way than the Enthlope way.Poor things get a paper cut and it’s a few months getting tended to by medics before they can even get out of bed.Now that I think of it, that’s probably why paper is outlawed on their planet.And you wouldn’t believe-”

“Doctor,” Rose laughed.

The Doctor shook his head, “Right, sorry. I have the applesauce here if you still want it,” he offered. 

Despite the intensity of the last few minutes, she did still have an appetite.She just hoped she could get through the snack without the brain gremlins coming back.

“Could do,” she said, “but, you’ll have to feed me.Sorry.”

“What did I say, no sorry’s, Rose Tyler.” He wagged a finger at her, “And let’s see how it goes.You may be able to do better than you think.”

“Uh Doctor, I can’t really move my arms,” she said wondering why she had to explain this very obvious predicament to the Doctor. 

“Exactly!” he said excitedly, “And there’s a world of difference between can’t really and can’t at all!”

Rose look at him skeptically, “If you say so.Alright then, lets try it.”

The Doctor took something from his bigger-on-the-inside pockets and slipped it onto her right hand.He had to help her uncurl her fingers, but after a few adjustments she was indeed successfully holding a spoon.It wasn’t any kind of spoon that she’d ever used before though.The handle was huge and made out of something that molded comfortably to her palm.She wiggled her fingers slightly and the handle accommodated each small movement.More importantly, there was a thick elastic strap that kept her from dropping the thing. 

She looked up to see the Doctor watching her with anticipation.

“What do you think?” he asked, fidgeting slightly.

“Nice,” she commented, “Weird, but I think it’ll help.”

“Brilliant,” he beamed.Her heart swelled at his childlike pride.She bet he’d made it himself. 

“Alright, first a trial run without the applesauce,” he instructed.“Can you straighten your arm a bit?”

She tried.Sweat broke out on her forehead with the strain of straightening her arm a few degrees.She wasn’t able to maintain the new position though.With a sharp exhale of the breath she’d been holding, her arm sprung back against her chest.She winced as her muscles tightened up again.

“What hurts?” the Doctor asked urgently.

“S’all right,” she said through gritted teeth.“Just…’S like a muscle cramp.But my whole upper body wants to get in on the action.Should go away in a sec.”

The Doctor reached across her to gently feel the muscles around her arm.He winced at how tight they were.“Hmmm, I may be able to do something about that later,” he said absently.Then to her, “How are you doing?Want to call it a night?”

“Not yet,” she said, “It’s already feeling better.And I’m still hungry.”

“Alright then,” the Doctor said, “We’ll try again in a minute, but this time I’ll help you.I don’t want you to have to strain so hard.”

After she caught her breath and loosened up, she gave him a nod.He gingerly placed a hand at her wrist and one just below her elbow, “Ready?”

“Yep,” she said, not looking forward to the muscle cramps, but determined to practice anyway. 

With the Doctor’s help, she was able to straighten her arm almost fully with less effort and much less pain.

“Ha!” she said triumphantly.

“Well done,” the Doctor grinned, “Now let’s move it back.”

That was easy enough.It seemed like her arm’s new greatest ambition was to curl up on itself.It was so easy to bend that the Doctor had to slow her arm down a little so she didn’t stab herself with the handle of the spoon.It was so ridiculous that she couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m spring loaded!” she giggled.

“Indeed,” the Doctor grinned.“Here, let’s go back and forth a few times.See if we can get those muscles to relax a bit more.”

With his help, she managed a few repetitions before her arm felt like it was about to fall off and she needed a break. 

“Not bad,” the Doctor said happily, “You were getting smoother towards the end there.”

“If you say so,” she yawned.She’d been concentrating too hard to have noticed.

“Have another little rest and then we’ll try it again with applesauce,” he said, twisting around to retrieve the small bowl he’d set on her nightstand.

“Uh, you sure?” she asked.She didn’t fancy him having to mop up globs of the stuff off her lap and shirt.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help,” he assured her.“You’ll do great.Ready?”

“Ready to eat, anyway,” she said. 

Rose watched almost as a spectator as the Doctor guided her arm to the bowl to scoop up some applesauce.He lifted her hand to her mouth and she opened obediently.At least he wasn’t making an airplane noise.She didn’t think she could bear that. 

Then the applesauce was bathing he tongue and all other thoughts drifted away. 

“Yum,” she hummed as she swished the sweet mush in her mouth.She’d never been a big fan of applesauce, but now it tasted heavenly.

“This time, see if you can help a bit more,” he coached her.

She did have a more active role in the next spoonful and it was a much slower and jerkier affair.Still, she got the applesauce to her mouth without spilling, so that was good.And this second bite tasted just as wonderful.

For a few minutes she got lost in the intense concentration it took to feed herself.Her arm quickly tired and the Doctor had to take on most of the work, but it still somehow felt better that it was her hand holding the spoon.

“I think I’m all set,” she said when the bowl was only half finished.Who knew eating could be so exhausting.

“What’s next then?” he asked.

Rose yawned again.“Dunno, I’m kind of knackered.Don’t want to go back to sleep yet though.” 

“You can if you want,” the Doctor said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and making her blush, “You’ll need a lot more sleep than you're used to for a while yet.And you just did some very hard work.”

Rose rolled her eyes at him, “Oh yeah, moved my arm back and forth.Tons of work.”But her body betrayed her as she yawned again.

“It was though,” he said seriously, “Leaps and bounds more than you were able to do yesterday.”

“Well that’s easy since I slept through most of it,” she pointed out.

“Exactly!” he beamed and she got the feeling that he was genuinely pleased with her progress.

“Alright then,” she conceded, “Still don’t want to sleep yet.”

“Well, we could watch some telly.Or I could read to you, if you like.We were working our way through some Agatha Christie, I believe.”

Rose didn’t think that she could follow the plot of a murder mystery right now, but the thought of listening to his animated reading voice sounded appealing.“How about some Christie then?”

“Molto Bene!” he said, jumping up and going to a cabinet in the far corner of the room.He rummaged around the drawers for a moment until with an excited “Ah ha!” he proffered a dog-eared paperback book. 

“Now budge up,” he said, and to her surprise he scooted her over so he could sit in the bed next to her.He snuck and arm around her back and reached across her to turn to the bookmarked page.Well this was new.It wasn’t unheard of for them to sit close as they read in the library, but this was positively snuggling.A happy thrill started in her stomach until her whole body was buzzing.He was several pages in before she started paying any attention to the story at all.She rested her head against his chest and let the words wash over her.Some things about this new life she’d woken up to weren’t so bad.Not bad at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some science-y notes...
> 
> Emotional lability is the fancy term for these types of changes in mood. (I personally prefer "brain gremlins" but medical textbooks tragically continue to ignore my input.) It can happen with brain damage, especially to the frontal lobe. It's also common for people to develop depression after a brain injury, not just from the circumstances of their new life, but from alterations in brain function and chemistry. Sometimes the changes are temporary and sometimes they are part of the new normal for the person. Meds, therapy, etc. can help, of course. 
> 
> I don't know about the rest of the sentient life in the universe, but humans do have a remarkable capacity to recover from crazy injuries. People defy odds all the time. For brain injuries, there are many factors that predict better outcomes and being young is one of them. I had a stroke as a kid and was back in school within a few months. In that time I re-learned how to sit, walk, read, etc. I also oddly got better at math. Nothing is a guarantee, but there's plenty of hope for Rose. 
> 
> The spoon Rose uses resembles lots of adapted spoons available today. The big handle is called a built up handle and it makes it much easier to hold. Built up handles are great for people with strength issues, joint pain, etc. It's the same idea as those pencil grips you used to use in primary school. 
> 
> Yawning often, especially with exertion and fatigue is common with brain injuries (I believe specifically with brainstem damage...but don't quote me on that.) Hiccups are also common, but I didn't write that into the story. These hiccups tend to be more violent and louder than normal ones. Pretty funny in real life, but didn't make the final cut into this story.


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose has a chat with her mum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!
> 
> Note: I did edit this chapter a bit since posting and have the updated version up now.

Rose woke groggy and achy the next morning.It had been one hell of a rough night.She’d paid a price for all the work she’d done with her arm in the form of terrible muscle cramps and lightning shocks of pain coursing through her body.She’d managed to keep the screams from escaping her throat, but no force of will was enough to prevent the silent tears from falling or to keep her from flinching with the intensity of each shock that wracked her body.She must have put on quite a show because the Doctor’s hands had trembled as he’d injected the pain medication through the port in her upper chest. 

Rose had managed to drift off to sleep after that, only to wake over and over again fromterrible nightmares.The dreams had all been the same - a formless white haze devoured her, hurt her, drove her mad without hope of any relief or reprieve.It was the Void, Rose supposed, but she wasn’t sure if the dreams were memories or just her brain’s odd reaction to what she’d gone through.Either way, the nightmares had gotten so bad last night that she’d tried to struggle against the drowsiness of the pain medication, only to succumb to sleep and then jerk awake moments later in distress.After several hours of this, the Doctor had finally convinced her to let him give her something that would allow her a deep, dreamless sleep.To be honest, she’d given in to him more so he could get some rest than for her own good.She hadn’t been sure there was really a sleep deep enough where the dreams could not find her and the thought of being unable to wake herself when they did terrified her.But the Doctor had been on high alert with her for hours on end and she had been worried about the dark circles brewing under his eyes.She had wondered when he’d last left the TARDIS for some fresh air and adventure, or even gotten a decent night’s sleep.As far as she could tell, he hadn’t left the infirmary except for that one quick trip to get some applesauce. 

She’d trembled as the Doctor had placed an oxygen cannula on her and had started the sedation, but thankfully it had done the trick and she’d slept soundly and without dreams of any kind for the rest of the night.

When Rose woke up, she found the Doctor sitting next to her, snoring away in what looked like a very uncomfortable position.As she let the remaining fogginess from the drugged sleep dissipate, she watched him and pondered how she might get him to take a break at some point today.Maybe she’d ask the TARDIS to lure him out of the infirmary with the scent of bananas or something and then lock him out of the room until he got some proper rest.Or maybe the Old Girl could fake an emergency that required some tinkering.The problem was, she usually had to touch the coral walls to communicate with the ship, and there was no way she could reach with her rubbish arms.She’d have to think of something else…

She hadn’t come up with anything several minutes later when her mum came padding into the room.

“Hello sweetheart,” her mum whispered beaming when she saw Rose was awake.

“Morning Mum,” Rose yawned and then grinned back. 

“And how do you know it’s morning then?It’s dimmer than a cave in here,” her mum complained as she eased herself into the empty chair across from where the Doctor was sleeping.

Rose thought for a moment.How _did_ she know it was morning?“I just do,” she managed an uncoordinated shrug, “It’s just how the TARDIS sort of feels, ya know?”

Jackie shook her head in bemusement. 

“Also,” Rose sniffed, “You’re having you’re morning cuppa.”Her mom was militant about the different types of tea she had at different times of the day. 

“Uncanny that nose of yours,” Jackie said.“Anyway, how are you feeling today, sweetheart?”

“Ok, I guess,” Rose replied.Scared, frustrated, groggy, and sore didn’t seem like a good answer, but saying “good” would be too much of a lie.So, she went with “ok.” 

“How’s my little sibling doing?” Rose asked to take the focus off of her.

“Oh, the little one is kicking away as usual,” Jackie said as she smiled and rubbed her belly, “I think he likes the morning cuppa as much as I do.”

“Well your tea did save the world once,” Rose grinned.

“Was the first thing you reacted to when you were in that coma thing too,” Jackie raised her mug proudly.

“Really?” Rose asked, “Hmmm, don’t remember.”

“Nah, you were still…not you then,” Jackie said.It was weird to think that Rose had been eating, drinking, sniffing tea, and doing god new what else before she’d truly woken up.It was oddly embarrassing, like being caught on camera when she wasn’t expecting it. 

“But you’re back now,” Jackie added as if to reassure herself.

“More or less,” Rose sighed.

“Oh, you’ll get there sweetheart,” Jackie assured her as she patted Rose’s hand. 

Rose shrugged and steered the conversation away from herself once again, figuring it was too early to start moping, “So…tell me about you and Pete then.”

Jackie blushed and it was nice to see her mum looking so young and happy. 

“You met in a stairwell?” Rose prompted.

That was all it took and Jackie gave her an animated recounting of meeting this new Pete and their life together.Rose was happy that he’d been there for her mum when she’d been gone.That had been an awful lot for him to take on so early in their courtship.And how mad was that, a duplicate version of her dead father courting her mother?This life, there was nothing like it. 

Rose cried a little when Jackie talked about their wedding.She wished she could have been there to see it in person.At least she was here now, looking at pictures on her mum’s phone of the small, subdued ceremony.And she’d be there when the baby came, though she wasn't sure how good of a big sister she would be in her current state. 

At some point in the conversation the Doctor woke up and went to fetch her breakfast.After some coaxing from both her mum and the Doctor, she did finally try some pureed egg whites.It took her awhile to get over the texture, but the Doctor was right, it did taste just like regular old eggs.Still, between the unappetizing look of the stuff and how exhausting it was to eat even with the Doctor’s help, she didn’t get very far through her meal.The Doctor filled out her nutritional needs with some more of that goop through her feeding tube.This time she was more fascinated than grossed out by the process.Once she got over the weirdness of the tube thing, she found she was relieved that she didn’t have to eat everything her body needed.She had enough going on as it was without that extra pressure placed on her.Hopefully soon she’d be able to feed herself, both with the spoon and by tube.She was eager to get some independence back. 

Throughout her meal, her mum continued to talk all about Pete and the baby.“He’d like to see you,” Jackie said eventually, referring to Pete.

Rose thought about it for a moment, “Yeah, ok.I should probably apologize for freaking out on him before.”

“Oh he understands, sweetheart.It was a nasty shock and bad timing.We wouldn’t have barged in if we’d known you were just getting your bearings,” Jackie assured her, “We didn’t even know you were properly awake.”

“Yeah, nasty shock for you too, eh?” Rose grinned remembering how her mum has shrieked.

“No, not nasty.Best thing that’s ever happened, seeing you were back with us,” Jackie said tearing up slightly.

“Anyway,” Rose said hurriedly, “Yeah, of course he can stop by.I have to give him The Talk after all.”

“The talk?” Jackie asked.The Doctor snickered from where he was sonic cleaning medical equipment in the corner.

“Well, yeah.His intentions.Is he gunna make you happy?Is he good enough for ya?Stuff like that,” she said.At Jackie’s worried look Rose burst out laughing, “Kidding mum!I’m kidding.”

“Oh the cheek,” Jackie muttered, “I’ll go fetch him then, shall I?”

“Yeah,” Rose agreed, though for some reason she wished she could put it off, “But Doctor…”

“Hmm?” he looked over at her, “Now that Mum and Pete are up, you should take a break, yeah?”

He smiled at her, “I’m fine, Rose.Besides I have this mess to clean up.”

“Yeah, good luck getting that one to leave your side,” Jackie said.

“No, I mean it Doctor.I know you’ve got that superior biology and all that, but you still need sleep.”When the Doctor opened his mouth to argue, she continued, “Proper sleep.Like in a bed.”

The Doctor folded his arms and leaned against the coral wall, “Are you trying to get rid of me, Rose Tyler?”

“Never,” she flashed her tongue touched smile at him, “Just…take a break, yeah?Get some sleep and a proper meal and go tinker with something for a bit.”

After a brief stare down, the Doctor conceded.“Very well, I can tell when I’m not wanted,” he sniffed in mock self-pity.“Let’s at least get you sitting up and comfortable first.”

The Doctor and Jackie worked together to get her sitting against the elevated head of the bed.“How’s that?” the Doctor asked as he fluffed a pillow under her left arm, “Feel ok?”

“Snug as a bug,” Rose grinned up at him.

“Good,” he said, surprising her with a kiss on her forehead, “Anything else before I go to my exile?”

Rose was a bit flustered from the feeling of his lips on her skin, platonic as the gesture was.“Er, nope.No.All good here.Unless you’ve gotten any spare working limbs in those magic pockets of yours?”

Rose instantly regretted the remark when the Doctor’s eyes turned sad.“Give it time,” he said as he took her hand to give it a squeeze.

“Course,” she smiled at him and was rewarded when he grinned back.

“Alright, see you in a bit,” he saluted and then walked towards the door.

In the doorway he turned, “And if you need anything -”

“Go!” she laughed, wishing she could throw a pillow at him.

“Right,” he nodded and then exited to the corridor.

“He’d do anything for you, you know,” her mum said fondly after the Doctor was out of earshot.

Rose smiled, “Course he would, we’re best mates.I’d do the same for him.”

“Best mates?Still going with that story, are you?” Jackie asked with raised eyebrows.

Rose’s smile slipped and she sighed as she looked up at the ceiling.She didn’t have energy for this kind of talk.Or the emotional fortitude.If she got thinking too hard about how she wanted more with the Doctor or how impossible that was, especially now, she’d lose it.Not to mention the fear that her days with him were numbered.He was a good person, so he was helping her out.But if she didn’t get better, it couldn’t last forever.The universe needed him.He needed to go on with his life.And if she couldn’t keep up... 

“Leave it mum,” she said with a harsher edge to her voice than she’d intended.

“Oh alright,” Jackie took a final sip of tea before placing the mug on the far counter, “Pete then?”

“Sounds good,” Rose said, both nervous and glad for the distraction. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some science-y/personal notes:
> 
> One of the harder things to manage in rehab is delayed consequences from exercising. Sometimes you can feel fine or just uncomfortable doing an activity and then pay for it big time later on. It's much easier to learn limits (or to learn anything) when you get instant feedback. Furthermore, depending on the injury or illness, your limits can change constantly. Basically doing anything can feel like Russian Roulette after a while.
> 
> The port the Doctor injects medicine in is kind of like this: https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/Article?contentid=1014&language=English. Ports are dead useful if you need regular IV meds/nutrition/hydration. Just hope to never get an infection from one! That can get dangerous in a hurry. Luckily that's not a problem in the TARDIS. 
> 
> The Doctor put an oxygen cannula on Rose because sedation can interfere with breathing (which is one reason why in real life it wouldn't be used as a nightmare remedy). Someone on that heavy of sedation would also need to be monitored closely to make sure they don't stop breathing for too long.


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pete stops in to say hello.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugg this chapter, man. I'm still not happy with it, but I think I have to post it so I can move on and write the rest of the story already. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!

Rose was nervous.Her Mum and Pete would be along any minute and she really wished she had more time until she had to see him again.It was silly, really.She’d met Pete before - they’d even saved his London from the Cybermen together.And there had definitely been some kind of a connection there, just like when she’d gone back in time to meet her dad.The thing was, unlike her dad, Pete had run from that connection.He hadn’t wanted a daughter, hadn’t wanted _her_.Considering what he had been going through at the time, she couldn’t blame him, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.Plus, he’d have a kid of his own soon.It wasn’t like he needed her for anything. 

She supposed if she had been her old self it would be easier to face him again.Easier if she could get up and walk away, could head off to the next adventure if things went south.The ability to swan off was almost like an emotional insurance policy - one she dearly missed.Not to mention she felt she was at a major disadvantage sitting in this infirmary bed, eating and peeing through tubes, hair probably a mess, and wearing baggy wrinkled jim jams.She wished she’d thought to ask her mum about cleaning up a bit first.Not because she wanted to show well for Pete, just because she thought she’d feel a bit more human if she could get a shower, brush her teeth, and maybe tame her hair a bit.There wasn’t a mirror in the infirmary, but she guessed she looked a right mess. 

That got Rose wondering how exactly she’d be able to do any of these regular grooming things.Forgoing them had made sense for the first few days she’d been awake, but as she felt more stable, her interest in hygiene had become much more pressing.Quite frankly, she was horrified with how long it had been since she’d brushed her teeth or showered.The sonic cleaning version of these activities just didn’t cut it for her.Maybe it was perfectly hygienic, as the Doctor had assured her, but it couldn’t replace the feel of warm water coursing over her skin or the fresh taste of her minty toothpaste.She craved the simple pleasures of her usual routine, but how on earth would she manage it? Her mum couldn’t carry her to the shower, and there was no way Rose could get there herself.And she was _not_ letting the Doctor or Pete get involved.She had to have some boundaries.

Rose was just so bloody tired of feeling helpless.And just so bloody tired in general.She realized she was crying again and angrily wiped the tears off her cheeks. 

_Hang on_... 

Rose froze as she realized what she’d just done.Experimentally, she tried to raise her hands again.And…yes, she was just able to get her arms up high enough that she could reach her face with the back of her curled wrists.She grinned, then laughed out loud.All hints of what caused the tears dissipated as she celebrated by rubbing her cheeks again and again.She only stopped when she heard her mum and Pete coming and thought she’d look a bit looney if they walked in on her like that.Rose let her arms relax into their usual position, but she felt lighter now that she had finally done something for herself.She’d wiped her own tears.It was a small thing, but it was as good a place to start as any. 

“Knock knock,” Pete said and she found she really appreciated him asking permission to come in the already open doorway.In a weird way, it gave her some tiny bit of control over the situation.

“Come in,” she called, making sure that her voice sounded steady and upbeat.

Pete came into the room grinning, followed by her waddling mum.

“I have to say Rose, it’s brilliant to see you sitting up and awake!” Pete said as he walked over to her.He came right up to the side of the bed and rested a hand on top of hers.

“Er…” she looked down at the overly familiar gesture, nonplussed. 

It took him a moment, but he seemed to realize she was uncomfortable and hastily pulled his hand away. “Sorry,” said, ears turning red.

“S’ ok,” she said automatically, “Just, uh, just wasn’t expecting…” she didn’t really know how to finish that thought.She hadn’t been expecting him to want much to do with her at all.And here he was acting like they were old friends.Family even. 

“Right.Course,” he said, the flush spreading from his ears to the rest of his face, “Sorry, I uh…” and then it was his turn to play the unfinished sentence game. 

Well this was certainly getting off to a great start, Rose thought miserably. 

A selfish part of her wished the Doctor was here.She knew he needed a break from this bloody room, but he was always so good at smoothing over tense situations - or at least he was good at talking right through them.Luckily her mum provided a brief distraction as she struggled to drag a chair over for Pete.At her frustrated grunt, Pete’s attention immediately shifted to his pregnant wife.He playfully chastised her for the exertion and helped her into her usual seat before dragging over and settling into his own. 

For a few moments they were all silent and just took each other in.Before the silence could move from uneasy to awkward, Rose finally found her voice, “Sorry I freaked out on you when I first woke up,” she smiled ruefully at Pete.

“Nonsense,” he assured her, “Of course you did.I wish I could go back and do it over again.I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Yeah, I had thought I’d gone mad,” Rose laughed.

“Makes sense.The truth is pretty far fetched, after all,” he said, glancing over at her mum with a grin. 

“No kidding,” Rose agreed.Then after a moment she added, “I’m, uh, happy you stayed.In this universe, I mean.”

“Are you?” Pete beamed, “That’s brilliant!I know before, the first time we met I…”

“Did a runner?” Rose filled in wryly.

He winced, “Er, yeah.I’m sorry about that.Truly.At the time, I couldn’t…I wasn’t in a place to -”

“Pete, you don’t have to explain,” she assured him.

“No, but I want to,” he said earnestly, “Before, I wasn’t in a place where I could let myself care about someone else.I’d just lost Jacks, my whole world had gone to hell, and there you were, the child I’d always wanted…It was just too much.But I did think about you often over the next couple years.You and your mum,” he looked at Jackie with such softness then, it made Rose’s heart ache.“I’m a lucky man to get a second chance.”He reached over and took her mum’s hand. 

“And now that you’re back,” he said, turning back to Rose, “Maybe a second chance to get to know you?” he asked tentatively.

“Of course,” Rose said, and she realized she meant it. “You’re my stepdad, yeah?And gunna be the father of my little sibling.I think there’s a chance we may run in the same circles.”Rose felt an odd sense of accomplishment when he laughed. 

Her mum on the other hand sniffed loudly and then promptly burst into tears.

“Mum?” Rose asked both confused and concerned.

“I’m just so happy!” Jackie wailed.

“Pregnancy hormones,” Pete mouthed as he wrapped an arm around Jackie and handed her a handkerchief.

Rose bit her lip to hold in her laughter.Apparently she wasn’t the only one around here with brittle emotions. 

After her Mum calmed down, the situation briefly threatened to become awkward again with none of them knowing quite what to say.How exactly did one go about getting to know the parallel version of one’s dead dad?Rose thought that would be a challenge even if she wasn’t so tired and uncomfortable.Her mum ended up saving them again by suggesting they introduce Pete to EastEnders, something that apparently didn’t exist in Pete’s World.

He must really love her mum because he jumped on the suggestion, calling up the wall screen and navigating the TARDIS’ entertainment menus like a pro.His comfortable movements around the infirmary really hit home to Rose how long they had been living on board.And all to help take care of her.It was a humbling thought.

Rose suspected Pete just may grow on her. 

Rose woke up sometime later with a familiar tug coming from her abdomen.She blinked her eyes open and wasn’t surprised to see the Doctor preparing a tube meal for her.

“Sorry,” he winced when he realized he’d woken her up.

“S’ok,” she yawned, “God, I can’t stay awake, can I?”

“To be expected,” the Doctor said absently as he concentrated on getting the right amount of goop in the syringe.Once he was done and had started the feed, he met her eyes and asked, “How are you feeling?Any pain?Nightmares?”

Rose thought about it for a moment, “Hmm I feel ok, actually.A little achey still, but much better than last night.And if I had any nightmares, I don’t remember ‘em.”

“Oh good.You did look like you were having a good sleep,” he smiled over at her, “I forgot to mention earlier, but I do have you on a low basal dose of some medications that should keep that pain in check.But if anything breaks through, let me know.”

“Kay,” Rose said, yawning again.She didn’t like the idea of taking anything for pain, especially on a continuous basis.She’d seen what those types of drugs did to some of her neighbors on the Estate when they’d gotten hooked.But last night had been pretty awful, and surely the Doctor had stuff from the future that was safer to take.She hadn’t even noticed she’d been on anything after all.Maybe it was best to just let it be for now and ask him about it later.She didn’t really want to discuss it in front of her mum and Pete. 

“Lunch time already then?” she asked instead, nodding at the tube. 

“Closer to supper,” her mum said, “We all ate ages ago.”

“It’s about oh…four o'clock relative Earth time,” the Doctor said.

“God, I’ll sleep my whole bloody life away!” Rose laughed to take the edge off her complaint, “Sorry I missed the marathon Mum.I don’t think I lasted more than half an episode, did I?” she sighed.“Well anyway…Pete, how did you like EastEnders?” she asked with a wink.

“Complete tragedy we didn’t have it where I’m from,” he almost sounded sincere, but winked back at Rose as soon as her mum looked away.

“Yeah, and a tragedy I missed the marathon,” the Doctor snorted.

“Oi, it’s good!” Jackie exclaimed, “And you’re one to talk!Rose told me all about By the Light of the Asteroid!”

The Doctor sputtered looking from Jackie to Rose with his mouth gaping like a hungry goldfish.

“Sorry,” Rose giggled, “Didn’t realize it was some big secret.”

“You know, I only watched that rubbish because you wanted to,” the Doctor said, still looking deeply betrayed.

“Oh, you’re full of it!” Rose playfully whacked his arm with the back of her hand.

It was amazing how quickly everyone in the room froze.

Rose bit her lip, “Er, oh yeah, I can kind of move my arms a bit now.Surprise.”

“But that’s brilliant!” the Doctor cried looking like if it weren’t for all the tubes he’d have picked her up and twirled her around.

“Absolutely!” Pete agreed heartily.

“Oh sweetheart!” Jackie said, headed towards tears again.

For a group of people who all claimed to have the upmost confidence that she’d recover, they sure were excited for this tiny little thing. 

“It’s not a big deal,” Rose lied grinning, “My arms are still pretty rubbish.Just a bit less rubbish, I guess.”

“Ah, nope, sorry, very big deal,” the Doctor said, “Overruled, Rose Tyler.”

She laughed.

“Let me finish up this,” the Doctor said gesturing to the goop he was pushing through her feeding tube, “Then we can see how much strength and motion you’ve gotten back.”

“Kay,” Rose said, “And then some celebratory chips?” she asked hopefully.

“Mmmmm, how about some mashed potatoes?” the Doctor countered, “Same basic thing, really.”

Rose shook her head, “Uh, not the same at all, actually.How long do I have to be on this weird diet anyway?I want some real food.”

“Well, I can do a swallowing scan on you and if that looks good, we can see how your digestive system does with a bit of solid food.It would have to be mild and easy to digest though.No chips just yet,” the Doctor said apologetically.

“I could settle for some toast, I guess,” Rose conceded.

“I’ll even throw in a spread of marmalade,” the Doctor said, finishing off the tube feed and capping everything off.

“But first, let’s look at how those arms are doing.”

The Doctor put her through the paces of various arm movements as they all cheered her on.Seriously, it was like a proper spectator sport the way they carried on over every little muscle twitch and movement.It could have felt condescending, but they were all so over the top cheesy about it that Rose couldn’t help but laugh as she was swept up in their enthusiasm. 

She was congratulated afterwards with a piece of toast with the thinnest layer of marmalade she’d ever seen.Still, it was brilliant to be able to chew something that resembled real food.And even better that with a bit of help setting everything up, she was able to feed herself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No science-y notes today. Not feeling well and want to get this posted.


End file.
